I got up and Skye came trotting downstairs with me but I had to chase her round to get the harness on her. She even ran back upstairs at one point. When it was finally on, I opened the front door. She stepped outside and refused to go any further. “Well you’ll have to stay in the house then” She wagged her tail and walked to the door. I let her in and went without her. Good job in a way because I was on a mission to find the ring feeders.
I knew there was one half in the chicken shed. I took a photo and sent it. I’d seen a bent half out the back. I didn’t know if that would be usable. Then Neil messaged to say one half in the rams pen. I saw that one. But three halves suggests there’s a missing half doesn’t it? I was finished so I went round the truck. Neil suggested another place to try but I’d left by then. I had breakfast and popped to the shops with Jordan. We were gone longer than I thought we would be. It wasn’t far off 11 when I got to Garth Hall 😲
I parked at the top and got the extendible hedge clippers out. There are loads of brambles protruding onto the drive. I cut lots off but the bloody thing is heavy to hold with your arms outstretched so it’s going to be an ongoing task for a while. The section I did improved the reverse down the drive. I parked up again and went to undo the padlock. The wellfield ‘crew’ were all pushed up against the wall garden gate berating me for the late arrival of their breakfast. And two of them shouldn’t even be in there! (Munchie and Dawn) I fed them and went to the barn for hay for the boys. I carried the two filled bags and Munchie followed me all the way to the gate. I explained she wouldn’t be getting hay because she shouldn’t be in there. She was miffed and I don’t care 😁
Atlas (who is always last for food) came careering down the field when he saw me with the hay. I decided to put it in their catch pen for now. He started tucking in while the other boys (stupidly) waited by the buckets. Fill your boots Atlas! To be fair, he was. I took the other bag to the feeder in the little boys field. Hector was being a bit bossy but hopefully they’ve eaten too. I checked the big girls and then fed Hennessey’s lot. Job done so I went to meet Jordan for food.
For the afternoon shift, we intended to put hay in the one set of ring feeders. Neil was going to take the tractor. He then messaged to say he was waiting in for a delivery. I got on with the feeding I was doing. As I walked into the paddock, I could see Burt Starsky and Ernie Hutch. There were a few flirty ewes hanging around too. There seemed to be a few more brown bums. I decided to go that way and count. The rams ran after the same ewe and then there was some argy bargy between them. Luckily there were enough ewes around to keep them both happy. They split up then and went their separate ways.
I walked all the way around and counted 10. By then I was almost at the alpacas. A message came from Neil. “Too dark to move the hay this afternoon. You carry on with your jobs and then go home.” I was heading back when he appeared on the quad. He was just going to tamp down where he has been setting ready for the new gates. He also told me that he had managed to get Dawn out so she was lurking by the gate complaining.
I’m glad I had an early finish because I had a Zoom this evening on diversifying your alpaca business. Let’s see what I can get from that.
Helen x
